Dawn city: present time.
"Emily, get back here now!" Maurie Rodriguez yelled, her voice laced with urgency, as her six-year-old daughter darted after their cat, Indi, into the darkened alley. The little girl's ponytails bounced with each step, her bright pink sneakers pounding the pavement in pursuit of the fleeing feline.
"Mom, I have to get Indi!" Emily protested, her small voice firm, as she chased after the cat. Maurie's heart raced with fear, her eyes scanning the dimly lit alley, but she couldn't spot her daughter or the cat. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.
Undeterred, Emily continued her pursuit, finally catching up to Indi, who had stopped in front of a large, menacing-looking man. Emily's eyes narrowed at the cat, "Bad cat, I got you now, Indi!" But as she turned to face the stranger, her expression changed from determination to terror. The man's imposing figure and sinister grin sent shivers down her spine.
"Emily!" Maurie's worried voice echoed through the alley, "Honey, where are you?" Emily's response was laced with confusion, "I'm right here, Mom, with Indi!" She backed away from the stranger, her eyes fixed on her mother, who was standing mere feet away, yet seemed oblivious to her presence. "She can't hear you, Emily," the stranger sneered, his voice dripping with malice. Emily's fear turned to panic as she realized her mother was not playing a game, and this man was not to be trusted. "Who are you, Mister?" she asked, her voice trembling, as she recalled her mother's warnings about strangers.
Ahab let out a sneer, then decided to indulge her a little bit for it has been far to long he had ever had a conversation with a child or anyone for that matter. "Ahab." He said.
Emily stared up at him with large brown eyes.
"Ahab, Jez'bel's husband?"
Ahab's bushy eyebrows arched upward, his eyes gleaming with surprise. "Ah, a curious one, indeed," he said, his deep voice filled with a hint of admiration. "Well, I suppose it's only fitting that you should know the name of the infamous king whose namesake I am. Ahab, husband of Jezebel, the scourge of the prophets and the bane of the Lord."
Emily's eyes widened, her curiosity piqued. "You mean the king who worshipped Baal and did all those bad things?" she asked, her voice filled with a mix of fascination and trepidation.
Ahab's expression turned thoughtful, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "The very same," he acknowledged, his eyes gleaming with a sinister light. "And I must say, I'm impressed. You're a smart one, aren't you? Most kids your age wouldn't know the first thing about ancient history. I'm really sorry kid."
Emily's eyes widened, her curiosity getting the better of her. "What's wrong, Mister Ahab? Why are you sorry?"
Ahab's expression turned somber, his voice laced with a hint of melancholy. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do." With a sudden, vicious motion, he snapped Indi's neck, the sound echoing through the alley like a twig breaking. Emily's scream was shrill and terrified as Ahab's eyes gleamed with a malevolent light, his lips curling into a maniacal grin. He drained the cat's blood with a grotesque, inhuman thirst, leaving Emily shattered and paralyzed with fear.
"'Gotcha' Ahab whispered in Emily's ear, his voice sending chills down her spine. Emily tried to scream, but her voice was frozen in her throat. She knew she had to get away from him, fast. But Ahab's grip was too strong, and he dragged her into the shadows, away from the safety of the sunlight."
—_—
Caz, also known as Castiel, halted her jog down Appleby Street as a sense of foreboding settled over her like a shroud. The putrid stench of an arch demon assaulted her nostrils, its origin tracing back to the alleyway on her left. That same alleyway had once been a hotbed of illicit activities, including a brothel, human trafficking, and drug rings, all of which she had single-handedly dismantled during a covert CIA operation.
The arch demon's attraction to this location was no coincidence, drawn as it was to the lingering malevolence that permeated the air. A chilling scream from the alleyway confirmed her suspicions, and she knew the arch demon was feeding on a human, likely a child, given the terror-stricken cries. With her trusted ally, herself, instantly alerted to the situation, Caz steeled herself for the battle ahead, ready to confront the evil that lurked in the shadows.
Caz's priorities were clear: the human was expendable, but the soul was precious. And she wouldn't let an arch demon roam free in her domain, Dawn City, without a fight. This city was hers to protect, and she allowed no other supernatural beings to enter without her permission or a valid reason.
Unfurling her majestic wings, Caz took to the skies, her form becoming invisible to human eyes as she soared through the air. She landed gracefully on Sutton Street, where a demonic barrier erected by her quarry came into view. Phasing through the barrier with ease, she descended upon the scene, her eyes locking onto the arch demon feasting on the child's soul.
Recognition sparked within her - it was Ahab, a demon she had once defeated. But what surprised her was his newfound strength, a promotion to arch demon that seemed unlikely given his previous weakness. Samael, the ruler of Hell, must be losing his grip on power.
"Ahab, what treachery brings you to my city?" Caz demanded in Hebrew, her voice stern and commanding. The demon dropped the lifeless child and shifted into battle mode, its eyes blazing with fury.
"Death herself," Ahab spat, venom in his voice. "You stole my kingdom and handed it to an unworthy successor. You'll pay for your transgressions, Castiel."
Caz stood firm, her gaze unwavering. "Hand over the soul, Ahab. Return to Hell and trouble my city no more. I will ensure the soul reaches its rightful place in Heaven."
The air was heavy with tension as the two supernatural beings faced off, their powers at the ready.
Ahab's voice dripped with venom as he sneered at Caz, "You're a hypocrite, Death. You don't understand the first thing about us. You angels are so self-righteous, looking down on us as if you're superior. But you're just as guilty of evil as we are. You don't care about humans; they're just pawns in your game. You judge us, calling us evil, but you're no better."
Caz's response was laced with lazy amusement, "When I kill you, Ahab, I'll still collect that soul from your intestines. So, why not spare yourself the trouble and hand her over? Then, scurry back to Samael and give him a message from Azrael: 'Hi'."
Ahab's boast was laced with arrogance, "I'm immortal, you lie! I cannot die!" He thumped his chest, momentarily forgetting about the corpses at his feet, his grip on the soul still tight.
Caz's mocking laughter was like a cold breeze on a winter night, "Oh, how delightful. I'll be happy to correct you." With a flick of her wing, a razor-sharp tip broke off, embedding itself in Ahab's heart. The demon's eyes widened in shock as his body began to disintegrate, turning to ash before Caz's eyes.
Ahab's voice trembled as he stuttered, "W-what did you do to me?" His eyes widened in terror, frozen in a death stare.
Caz's smirk was laced with mockery, "Oh, Ahab, how little you know. I've killed you twice now, and this time, there's no coming back." Her words were laced with a sinister finality.
Ahab's eyes rolled back into his skull as his body began to disintegrate, his ashes scattering on the ground. Caz shook her head, her voice laced with disdain, "What a waste."
Her gaze shifted to a golden orb that shone with an otherworldly light, its brilliance piercing the air. Caz reached out, her hand closing around it, and she felt its power coursing through her veins. She gathered the stray fragments, joining them together to form a larger, pulsing orb.
"This soul was something special," Caz mused, her thoughts introspective. "Rare, even. I can't send it back to Heaven, not when it has so much to offer humanity." Her eyes gleamed with a knowing light, as she pondered the soul's potential.
Caz's eyes narrowed, recalling the last time she'd seen a soul like this - Moses'. Samael had coveted it, but ultimately failed to claim it. She groaned in frustration, knowing she had no choice but to resurrect this soul. The weight of her responsibility didn't make her feel any better. "El çamk ütk shëab," she muttered, her gaze heavenward, pleading for divine assistance. ("Father, fix and save this soul")
With a snap of her fingers, the soul returned to its young vessel. The little girl gasped, her eyes wide with wonder. Castiel's attention turned to the lifeless cat, her expression softening. She waved her hand in a graceful motion, invoking the cycle of life. The cat's body began to glow, its fur fluffing as it sprang back to life.
As she turned to leave, her wings spread wide, a small voice called out,
"Don't go, Angel!" Caz paused, her gaze returning to the child and her newly resurrected kitten. A faint smile graced her lips, and she hesitated, her wings still outstretched.
***